The Role of Service Quality in Developing Customer Loyalty in the Banking Sector: A Case study of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Maintaining a strong and loyal customer base is the objective of every organisation. However, in reality this is difficult to achieve in the current competitive environment. When the widespread challenges of the business environment are taken into account, organisations cannot simply plan to absorb new customers but instead adopt the strategy of preserving existing customers and promoting their loyalty to the organisation. This study examined customer loyalty in the banking sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A theoretical model was constructed through an extensive literature review and by extracting the most relevant and important variables for customer loyalty. A questionnaire was used to collect data from customers of different banks. Regression results showed that service quality significantly influences customer satisfaction and customer trust. Furthermore, customer satisfaction and trust significantly affect customer loyalty towards banks. In this respect, service quality is imperative to maintain customer loyalty through customer satisfaction and trust.